followed by some message full of !!!
Apart from the threat of imminent neck-wringing, I went because the store is on my way back home from work, so it’s not like I had to make a detour…

I wish I were cool, calm and collected. I’m anything but, pfff… So here I barged into this plush bijou boutique like the Tasman Devil, waving my arms and complaining about the cold weather to the staff, when all I needed to do was be discreet, pretend to look at a few shoes and leave after a whispered “Would you be so kind and let Isis know that A.L.B. dropped by?”

Well anyway, there’s no way back after so much commotion and the event manager, Tracy, was patient and professional enough to put up with my eccentricities. And the lady knows all about women and beauty and… shoes; she showed various models

“Keep your heels, head and standards high”

Shoes speak louder than words

“Cinderella is the proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life”

and explained the ‘science’ behind the creation. I had an epiphany when I realized that very very few women are shoe designers, so it was a real pleasure to hear Tracy explain how Lucy Choi thought of all the details that make the difference between comfort and torture when wearing heels. Details like

the padded sole under the ball of your foot and under the heel

the little elastic at the back to hold the foot in without rubbing the back of the ankle (you know the part where you have to put on band-aids not to get blisters)

the ingenious mix of materials

I was captivated. While I waited for my nails to dry (explanation in a next blog), Tracy took me around for a grand tour, which lasted 4 min before I found THE black pair I had been hunting since forever! You know the shoes: heels comfortable enough to be worn all day, yet high enough to feel very feminine, matching ALL your outfits, no matter the season. Bliss at last…

“A woman with good shoes is never ugly” Coco Chanel

and they were on sale

And they were on sale!!!

OK , so it took a bit of convincing from Tracy, SF/Isis and the other staff members for me to buy them but I’m really really happy now. They come in a discreet bag with branding only on the ribbon (so classy!)

with all the posh paraphernalia of a designer purchase.

Love them (haven’t worn them yet) but going to Paris on Wednesday and will strut around the City of Lights feeling as the famous quote

“Give the girl the right shoes and she’ll conquer the word”
Marilyn Monroe

And since the prices are fairly reasonable for designer shoes, well, that’s a unbeatable way to make you feel like a million dollar…